Book Chat

The 39 Clues series starts with the death of Grace Cahill. In her will she left certain family members a choice: they can either take one million dollars or go on the hunt for the 39 Clues. Enter Dan and Amy Cahill. Their parents died in a tragic fire, and while Grace hadnít been raising them (it was their terrible Aunt Beatrice), Grace was the closest thing to a parent that they had. Amy and Dan didnít know why, but they knew that they needed to go on this hunt.

Also on the hunt for the clues are the Holts (known for their brawn but not their brains), Jonah Wizard (superstar extraordinaire), the Kabras (evil and rich, especially their mother Isabel), the Starlings, Alistair Oh, and Irina Spasky (hard-core KGB). It looks like everyone has the advantage over Amy and Dan. What Amy and Dan donít know but will soon find out is that Grace was carefully preparing them for this hunt. With Amyís research skills, Danís photographic memory, and with a tenacity and goodness that the rest donít have, the pair offers plenty of competition. The race for the 39 Clues is on!

The hunt for the 39 Clues leads Amy and Dan to Japan. Although they have learned the hard way that you shouldnít trust anyone in the race, they need their uncle, Alistair Oh, to help them navigate their way to the third clue.

Desperate to find out about their parents and what their parents knew about the 39 Clues, Amy and Dan travel to Australia to stay with their uncle. But donít worry, there's no break in the action. Plenty of adventure and mystery follow them to the ďdown under.Ē

Amy and Dan finally discover which branch of the Cahill family they belong to and, more importantly, that they have a monumental quest: to bring the other four branches together. Itís been 500 years since the last attempt. Can Amy and Dan beat the rest to the 39 Clues and bring harmony to a family that has been split for generations?

Throughout the quest Amy and Dan have remained united, but a family secret threatens to divide them for the first time ever. Will they be able to overcome this obstacle in order to complete the 39 Clues and bring their family together?

Amy and Dan are being followed by a man in black: a Madrigal. The Madrigals are hated by the other four branches, and to make matters worse, Amy and Dan think that their parents were Madrigals. Who is this Madrigal? And is he out to help them or hurt them?

The 39 Clues are all found. Now each branch must put the ingredients together to create a most powerful serum. Just when it looks impossible and that Isabel Kabra is going to take the magic serum all for her own, Amy and Dan come through for everyone. But now that the family is united and Dan has the recipe for the magic serum, who should come into play...the Vespers!

Long ago when Gideon Cahill created the serum, he realized its power. At the time he was experimenting for Damian Vesper, the ruler of that area. When Vesper found out what Gideon had made, he wanted it for himself. Gideon gave a portion to each of his four children in order to hide the entire recipe. Each child had a part, together all the parts made the serum. And then Gideon blew up his lab and himself in order to protect his family and the serum from getting into Vespersí hands. The siblings broke off from one another but each kept their part of the recipe.

What no one knew was that Gideon left an important part of his recipe with his wife in the form of a ring. When Vespers realized that Gideon had tricked him and that Gideonís wife, Olivia, had the ring, he went after her. For hundreds of years Vespers and Cahills have been playing cat-and-mice with the ring. What is the ring? What is its significance? And what part will Amy and Dan play in keeping the ring safe?

Just when Amy and Dan thought that their quest had ended, they discovered that they were wrongÖbig time! Bringing the 39 Clues together was only the first part of the journey. Now, they must protect the powerful serum created by their ancestor Gideon Cahill from the Vespers family at all costs. It looks like there will be no rest for the tenacious and smart siblings!

The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers, Book 2 by Jude Watson (to be released in Dec. 2011)

Expert Chat

Gordon Korman and Peter Lerangis, two of the 39 Clues authors, chat about this high-adventure, fast-paced series. They share background information on the characters, discuss what itís like to write with a group of authors, and give some hints about the newest series: Cahills vs. Vespers!